1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to waste cans, and specifically to a waste can that conceals the waste can liner and any waste therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
The prior art includes many waste cans with a bottom wall, an upstanding side wall enclosure and an open top. The side wall enclosure of prior art waste cans have been provided in many cross-sectional shapes, including, circular and elliptical. Many waste cans are used at locations where they are readily visible. Hence, there is a desire to make waste cans aesthetically attractive.
Most people protect the interior of the waste can from stains or other damage by employing a waste can liner. Waste can liners are plastic bags dimensioned to occupy a volume greater than the volume of the waste can. Thus, the plastic waste can liner is placed in the waste can and top edges of the liner are folded over the side wall of the waste can adjacent the open top. The liner protects the interior of the waste can from stains or damage with sufficient effectiveness. However, the contents of the waste can normally are not concealed by the liner. Furthermore, the hanging edges of the bag-like liner are unattractive and conceal attractive features and/or colors that may have been designed into the can. Additionally, the plastic liners often collapse into the waste can, and trash deposited after such a collapse is likely to be trapped between the liner and the waste can.
Many prior art waste cans include a cover. The cover often is locked to the side wall of the waste can adjacent the open top to prevent inadvertent separation. This feature provides security, but complicates access to the interior of the waste can for replacing a filled liner with an empty liner. Many such covered waste cans place the cover over the upper ends of the side walls after the liner has been placed in the open-top. Thus, the cover is effective for sealing the contents of the waste can but still shows the unattractive free edges of the plastic waste can liner.
Many covered waste cans include a hinged lid in the cover. The hinged lid is intended to facilitate placement of waste into the can. However, covers that include a lift-up lid are inconvenient. More particularly, consumers would prefer to merely throw or otherwise move the trash downwardly into the trash can without the separate step of first lifting the lid upwardly. Waste cans with lids incorporated into the covers typically do not solve the problem of peripheral regions of the waste can liner hanging over the top edge of the waste can and below the attached cover (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,605 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,231).
The prior art includes waste can systems where an inner trash-receiving can is disposed within an outer can assembly. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,175 shows a simple cylindrical open-topped inner can mounted in and extending partly above a cross-sectionally larger cylindrical open-topped outer can. A cover with a lid then is telescoped over the open tops of the inner and outer cans. The patent does not show how or whether plastic bags would be used with the disclosed waste can system. However, the close proximity of the telescoping edges of the inner and outer cans and the cover would suggest that any waste can liner would be folded over the top of both the inner and outer cans. Any other arrangement would require the user to manually lift the inner can out of the outer can, fold the top edges of the plastic bag into place and then carefully position overhanging portions of the plastic waste can liner into the narrow space between the inner and outer cans.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,514 shows an even more complex assembly that has an inner can positioned on a short base. A long cover then is telescoped over virtually all of the inner can and is locked into engagement with the base. The cover includes an opening to access the interior of the inner can but has no lid for closing the cover. This arrangement presumably would conceal any plastic liner used with the system. However, the contents of the liner could be readily viewed through the opening.
In view of the above, it is an object of the subject invention to provide a waste container assembly that conceals the contents of the assembly.
Another object of the subject invention is to provide a waste container assembly that conceals all portions of the waste can liner that is placed in the assembly for receiving the waste.
An additional object of the subject invention is to provide a waste container assembly that prevents the waste can liner from falling into the waste container.
A further object of the subject invention is to provide a waste container assembly with a hinged cover that facilitates deposit of trash into the waste can liner.
Still another object of the subject invention is to provide a hinged lid on a waste container assembly that facilitates depositing of trash into the assembly without lifting the lid and that enables closure of the lid without springs or other stored energy devices.
The subject invention is directed to a waste container assembly that comprises an inner can having a bottom wall, an upstanding side wall enclosure and an open top. The bottom wall of the inner can and the open top of the side wall may define identical or similar shapes. However, the open top of the side wall may be slightly larger than the bottom wall in view of molding efficiencies. The bottom wall and the open top edge of the side wall may be any convenient and desired shape. However, a substantially oval shape is preferred in view of aesthetics and functionality of the assembly as described further herein.
The waste container assembly further includes an outer enclosure for substantially completely concealing the inner can and the contents of the inner can. The outer enclosure comprises a peripheral skirt with an open bottom and a top. The open bottom of the peripheral skirt is disposed at or near the closed bottom of the inner can when the outer enclosure is assembled with the inner can. In certain embodiments, the peripheral skirt is dimensioned to terminate a short distance from the floor or other supporting surface for the waste container assembly. In other embodiments, the peripheral skirt extends entirely to the floor.
The outer enclosure further includes a cover that extends upwardly from the peripheral skirt and covers the open top of the inner can. The cover may be unitarily formed with the top end of the peripheral skirt. Alternatively, the cover may be formed separately from the peripheral skirt and may telescope over the top ends of the peripheral skirt and the inner can. This latter embodiment is particularly effective for dimensionally large waste container assemblies and avoids the need to lift a large outer enclosure for removing a full plastic trash can liner and inserting a new trash can liner.
The cover is provided with a hinged lid for accessing the interior of the inner can. The hinged lid extends from a peripheral side region of the outer enclosure to a location spaced inwardly from the side walls. A hinge for the lid is intermediate these inner and outer extremes of the lid. More particularly, the hinge and the lid are configured such that inner portions of the lid can be rotated downwardly for depositing trash into the trash receptacle assembly. However, the lid is configured and the hinge is disposed such that the lid is gravitationally biased toward a closed position. Thus, the lid can be open by urging the inner portion of the lid downwardly. These forces can be generated by hand or by the weight of the object that is being discarded. Upon release of those forces, however, the lid will swing gravitationally back to the closed position. Thus, both the opening of the lid and the closing of the lid are assisted by gravity, and the lid functions much in the manner of a seesaw that is slightly biased in one direction. Either a manual force or a force due to the weight of the trash will overcome the slight gravitational bias toward the closed position and will swing the lid into the open position for gravitationally depositing trash into the inner can of the assembly. The lid then will pivot back toward the closed position due to the forces of gravity and the relative position of the hinge. Thus, neither the opening nor the closing of the lid require any forces by the user other than the forces for depositing the trash into the receptacle.
The inner can is intended for use with a plastic waste can liner. More particularly, the closed end of the plastic waste can liner is placed in the inner can and the open top edges of the plastic waste can liner are folded slightly over the open top of the inner can. The open top of the inner can preferably is provided with a plurality of V-shaped notches. Edge regions of the plastic waste can liner can be bunched together and urged into one or more of the V-shaped notches to facilitate retention of the top edge of the liner in proximity to the open top of the inner can. Thus, the problematic collapsing of the liner into the can is completely avoided. Edge regions of the can are concealed by the outer enclosure. Thus, the user would not see the unattractive free edge of the trash can liner at any time other than when the liner is being removed and replaced.
The cover of the outer enclosure may comprise a substantially downwardly and rearwardly slanted portion and an upwardly and rearwardly slanted portion that intersect. The lid may be disposed on the downwardly and rearwardly slanted portion, and the upwardly and rearwardly slanted portion may include an opening. The intersection of these slanted surfaces provides an efficient target for a user. Thus, a user is likely to deposit trash near the intersection, and hence at a location on the cover that applies a maximum moment to the cover. This moment ensures sufficient forces to overcome the gravitational bias of the cover toward the closed position. Additionally, the proximity of the lid to the opening in the upwardly and rearwardly slanted portion of the cover facilitates accommodation of relatively large items of trash. Additionally, these intersecting surfaces at the upper end of a generally cylindrical or prismatic structure provides an aesthetically attractive appearance.